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From coal to cool: Northern UK cities reinvented

By Marta Yamamoto, San Jose Mercury News

Posted:
10/26/2013 01:42:58 PM MDT

Updated:
10/26/2013 01:43:08 PM MDT

With arms that span 175 feet, the Angel of the North embraces England's North East, its past and its present. Rough, weathered steel serves as a tribute to the region's industrial heritage, while her stark beauty heralds the amazing metamorphosis that has occurred in the once-gritty city of Newcastle.

Over the past 10 years, this former coal-mining center — an unlikely candidate for transformation — has erased the soot of industry and created a lively urban core of arts and entertainment, a “hipster capital,” as Lonely Planet calls it. Melding the old and the new created exciting possibilities on both the Newcastle and Gateshead sides of the River Tyne, with old factories and warehouses repurposed as museums, galleries, theaters, restaurants and clubs.

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Culture, not coal, now defines this region, said Sarah Stewart, chief executive of the NewcastleGateshead Initiative.

“It is part of the fabric of the destination and something that inspires people to visit and to live, learn, work and invest here,” she said.

Seven new hotels have opened in the past two years alone, and overnight stays increased by 29 percent in 2012, according to tourism figures.

The Angel of the North is a contemporary steel sculpture erected in 1998 in England's Northeast. The arms span 175 feet. (Marta Yamamoto/San Jose Mercury News/marta yamamoto)

Fronting the River Tyne, the Quayside buzzes, with people attracted like magnets to its historic buildings, landscaped promenade and the city's seven iconic-yet-eclectic bridges, from the historic Tyne Bridge to contemporary Gateshead Millennium Bridge, the world's only tilting bridge. The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and the Sage Gateshead attract art and music fans to this with-it section of town.

In Grainger Town, elegant, sweeping streets lined with stone neoclassic architecture now house trendy shops and eateries that are interspersed with the North East's premier Laing Art Gallery and opulent Theatre Royal.

And in the Ouseburn Valley, former Victorian warehouses have been reborn as the Biscuit Factory, the North East's largest commercial gallery; Seven Stories, a museum devoted to children's literature; and The Cluny, a pub renowned for its music, food and beers.

Culture, both high and gritty, is getting full exposure in Newcastle and Gateshead, and there's something for every taste, from art and theater to music and comedy, from local artists to those of international reputation. Just define your interest and expect to be impressed.

Here's a rundown:

VISUAL ARTS

At the top of the must-see list and a catalyst in the Quayside transformation is the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in a former flour mill-turned-gallery. With an ever-changing calendar of exhibitions and events representing artists of international repute, the Baltic challenges its visitors while, at the same time, uses tours and activities to enhance their experiences.

Though the Baltic opened in 2002, the center's hosting of the 2011 Turner Prize nominees, which brought in 25,000 people in five days, firmly put Newcastle on the European art circuit.

Nearby, the Side Gallery exhibits international humanist documentary photography that brings to light issues around the working classes and marginalized, threatened communities, raising aesthetic and moral questions. An intimate 50-seat cinema shows independent films that support the gallery's goals.

NORTH EAST ARTS, PAST AND PRESENT

Near Grainger Town, the Laing Art Gallery exhibits historic, iconic pieces of art, jewelry, glass, textiles, ceramics and furniture from North East artists, both historic and contemporary. It is known for its collection of pre-Raphaelite paintings, neoclassic sculptures and the work of John Marin, a self-taught Northumberland painter recognized for his massive biblical and mythical scenes.

ART TO BUY, PLUS A CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

In the Ouseburn Valley, the Biscuit Factory, representing a wide range of local artists, lays claim as Britain's largest commercial art, craft and design gallery/shop. Within the two-story former Victorian warehouse, the bright, open spaces give the stage to individual pieces arranged by type of media. Exhibiting at least 150 artists at one time allows the gallery to provide quality, affordable, original contemporary arts to the public.

Nearby, Seven Stories occupies seven floors of a converted flour mill and devotes itself to the rich heritage of children's literature. Each exhibition feels like walking through the pages of a favorite story book. Multimedia displays, readings, life-size character cut-outs, clothes from the stories to dress in, photographs, toys and audio tapes put visitors into the story itself.

ENTERTAINMENT

From refined to hip to wild, there's entertainment for everyone's taste. Theater patrons can enjoy classic dramas, Broadway-style productions, innovative plays and comedy; in music, it's intimate to giant venue shows. For pulsating nightlife, there are world-famous DJs picking the tunes at above-ground and underground clubs. Whether it's a quiet bar, a rowdy pub or what the Brits call a “hen party,” Newcastle promises and delivers “a canny night oot.”

MUSIC, COMEDY AND MORE

Partner to the Quayside Baltic, the Sage Gateshead draws crowds, as much for its iconic, caterpillar-shaped, billowing glass-and-steel design as for its world-class acoustics. Showcasing everything from classical and jazz to indie and folk by internationally acclaimed artists, its two concert halls are packed seven days a week.

Smaller in scale, Newcastle City Hall, built in 1927, was the city's first dedicated concert hall. Today its atmosphere welcomes pop venues, concerts, comedy acts and musicals. Nearby, the O2 Academy fills its schedule with indie faves and up-and-coming groups.

LOCAL GEORDIE BANDS

Discover real Geordie flavor — that's the nickname for the people of this region — and local lingo at The Cluny in Ouseburn Valley. This popular venue for established bands and up-and-coming artists comes through with intimate gigs within a laid-back atmosphere. Housed in a former whiskey distillery, the Cluny rings out with a triple treat of music, home-cooked fud (food) and a great range of local beers. Its aboot (about) nowt (nothing) but a grand neet (night) out as long as you hold your gob (keep quiet) while the band plays.

TAKE TO THE STAGE

The Theatre Royal, smack-dab in Grainger Town, is a theater of the grand old style, complete with elegant interiors and colonnaded entrance. Second home to the Royal Shakespeare Company, its stage presents West End productions, musicals, ballet, opera, drama and children's theater.

Back on the Quayside, Live Theatre occupies its own historic buildings and specializes in staging pieces written and performed by local playwrights and actors. Within this world-class theater venue, seats alongside the stage create a cozy, intimate atmosphere for plays, stand-up comedy and music.

ANGEL SETS THE TONE

Considering Newcastle's transformation and all that is on offer, perhaps the Angel of the North is, in fact, one giant Geordie, embodying pride, industriousness, a resilient spirit and a sometimes unintelligible dialect. It, like the “new” Newcastle, is there to be admired and enjoyed.

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